Press Release

Woodmere Art Museum Names John Affleck Board President

PHILADELPHIA, PA – Woodmere Art Museum – Philadelphia’s premier institution for interpreting the art and culture of the Philadelphia region – announces the appointment of John Affleck as President of Woodmere’s Board of Trustees. At the museum’s Annual Meeting on September 13, 2011, the Board of Trustees announced that former President Dianne A. Meyer is stepping down. A partner at Duane Morris, Ms. Meyer led Woodmere’s board through a period of great transition. Mr. Affleck, President of Stratton Management, now officially assumes the role. He previously served as a Woodmere trustee.

“Dianne’s leadership and strength led Woodmere Art Museum through the challenges of recent years,” says Mrs. Marguerite Lenfest, civic leader and member of Woodmere’s Board of Trustees. “Now, building on this foundation, Woodmere is poised to grow. We welcome John Affleck as President. John’s considerable strategic financial skills will serve the institution well.”

John Affleck is President of Stratton Management, a firm that manages investments for institutions and individuals. In addition to his role at Woodmere, Mr. Affleck is an overseer at the William Penn Charter School, which he attended as a youth, and trustee of the Philadelphia Orchestra and the Coriell Institute for Medical Research. Formerly, he served on the Investment Committee of the Philadelphia Museum of Art and as a board member of Arcadia University. He was also Chairman of the Board of The Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education.

Mr. Affleck maintains a strong local connection to the Northwest region of Philadelphia. He was born and raised in the Mount Airy neighborhood of the city. Mr. Affleck obtained a deep appreciation for the arts and the great cultural riches of Philadelphia from his father, Ralph Affleck, who was an artist and designer.

“My father brought me to the City’s great cultural institutions as a child, and it so happens Woodmere Art Museum was our neighborhood museum. Together, we visited Woodmere often,” said Mr. Affleck. “I am very excited about joining Woodmere Art Museum in this new capacity, having grown with the museum from my early days as a visitor to my work as a trustee, and I look forward to this new chapter in the life of Woodmere as the institution continues to grow. Woodmere Art Museum has so many unique assets, from its six-acre estate in Chestnut Hill to its outstanding permanent collection, which tells the important story of Philadelphia’s great artists. I look forward to working with the Board of Trustees and the museum’s talented staff.”

Mr. Affleck holds a BA from Lafayette College and an MBA from Temple University. From 1969 – 1970, he served as First Lieutenant in the U.S. Army.

Mr. Affleck currently lives in Wyndmoor with his wife Cindy, who shares a dedication to public service and is a trustee of the Free Library of Philadelphia and serves on the board of Friends of the Wissahickon.

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About the client:

Housed in a 19th-century stone Victorian mansion on six acres in the Chestnut Hill section of Philadelphia, Woodmere first opened its doors to the public in 1940. The building, grounds and the nucleus of the Permanent Collection are the benefactions of Charles Knox Smith (1845 – 1916), who wished “to awaken the spirit of, the appreciation of, and the knowledge of art … in the City of Philadelphia and surrounding territory.” Today, the Permanent Collection consists of more than 3,000 works of art, celebrating the art and artists of Philadelphia.

Woodmere’s core collection includes important paintings by renowned artists such as Edward Redfield, Daniel Garber, Walter E. Schofield, Benjamin West, Frederic Edwin Church, Violet Oakley, Arthur B. Carles and many more. Woodmere’s nine galleries and salons, including a grand rotunda and a uniquely designated Helen Millard Children’s Gallery, provide space for exhibitions and programs that serve the entire family. In the George D. Widener Studio, a converted carriage house, a year-round roster of classes provides outstanding art training to children and adults. The recent addition of the Children’s Garden provides participants of Woodmere’s Summer Arts Community Program with outdoor space to display and enjoy works of art. The Helen Millard Children’s Gallery also showcases exhibitions of student artwork from local schools.

Accessible by public transportation: From Center City Philadelphia, take the R8 Chestnut Hill West regional rail train to the end of the line. Turn left on Germantown Avenue and walk for .8 miles to Woodmere. For detailed driving directions, click HERE.